The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-04
An ARMY OF GREEN HANDS
AT WORK on THE PIERS, MOVING
FREIGHT.
Labor inexperienced, and the Enor-
nous Quantity Of Merchandise
Battles Them.

NEW YORK, February Very little
freight is being moved along the Iiver
front this morning and most OF the
railroad piers on the west tide are
still closed. The New York Central
has $50 men at work discharglDga big
fiat that for the past few days has
lain at the pier, but the progress made
is very slow. The company is receiv-
ing all the freight that is offered, but
merchants are shipping nothing more
than the most Urgent orders, fearing
delay. The Pennsylvania railroad in
troduced 100 men on pier b, but they
were all green hands, who had never
handled freight before. One gate was
open this morning and few track.
men discharged sevs raj tons of freight
on the bulkhead. The Lehigh COM
pany at pier 2 did not open it's gates.
but some freight was being handled
on the docks. The company does not,
the agent ssys, feel the inconvenience
much. The New York, Lake Erie
and Western railroad put on force OF
man in place OF the strikers and
opened their pier for the reception OF
freight. Very little was received. ,On
the steamship piers there was much
improvement. Freight was being
moved mostly by new men. There Is
an abundance OF uuskilled labor to be
had, and the superittsndents OF the
docks have more men than they have
places for. The trouble is that these
men have had no experience at freight
handling. The tire uble on the Guion
Line pier was further complicated
this morning when Alex. Taylor, the
dock stevedore, resigned. he claimed
that he could not work with the force
on hand. At the Hudson river freight
depot a gang OF Italians left work and
Joined the strikers. The master work
man of an Italian local assembly of the
Knights of Labor called at the head
quarters OF the Ocean Association and
told the committee that eighty.tive
Italians who were working as non.
union men we've willing to strike If
admitted t. the union. The offer was
accepted and the men struck. An
officer of ths Ocean Asan says that
an Italian ia paid $2a head for SUP
plying men to the steamship COM
psnies. The non-union men on the
Mallory Line pier who struck several
DAYS ago have Joined the union. Po'
lice superintendent Murray has taken
vigorous measures to repress out
RACES. Police Inspector Steers has
taken charge OF the police along the
piers, with headquarters at Pier SO,
North river, with large force OF uni
formed police under command. The
river fronts are practically In a state OF
siege. One thousand police have been
msssed in reserve at four different
points. Patrol wagons have been sta
toned at each place, 30 that the whole
force can be concentrated at any given
point in short time. The 1000 men
can handle twenty timss that num-
Der of riotsrs. One thousand more
are in reserve at police headquarters.
In case OF a riot, the whole force can
reach the scene inside OF an
hour. In addition, fully 100 de-
tectives have been detailed for
the duty along shore wearing plain
clothes. The captains chosen to COM
mand the four divisions under In
spector Steers are the most moderate
tempered men on the force. They
have been selected as not likely to
provoke a fight, while fully able to
carry it on If begun. All the river
stations report half hourly to Superin-
tendent Murray. Up to noon
no trouble had been reported.
The Superintendent thinks that
he is able to repress any disorder
or rioting that might arise.